It’s time to take stock of my reading for the year. In the sidebar on the right, you’ll see a partial list of my books for the year. I read about 75, plus about 40 journals (the journals aren’t listed). It’s not a particularly staggering number — any bookworm who reads consistently will likely put […]
What is bad writing? That’s what this new documentary asks, as it follows the journey of a terrible poet as he asks literary luminaries what they think of his work. Love the all-star lineup of authors: Margaret Atwood, David Sedaris, Nick Flynn, Steve Almond, George Saunders (and love the Saunders quote – “I had a […]
The Granta party last night at the Crocker Club — the occasion being the release of The Best of Young Spanish-Language Novelists — was a smash hit. David Kipen, proprietor of Libros Schmibros, lead a lively discussion with two of the contributors, Carlos Yushimito and Carlos Labbe, who opined, among other things, that the Nobel […]
If you’re depressed about the future of the written word, Bound to Last: 30 Writers on Their Most Cherished Book is your Prozac. The anthology fairly pulses with admiration for the printed word (yes, only printed — sans electronic conveyance). Bound to Last features a familiar cast of literary archetypes: the hero, identified by hardback […]
In the left hand column, you will see the same link to a new page: my previous journal ranking system has been overhauled. While previously, the rankings were compiled on a number of admittedly subjective factors, now the ranking is based upon the last three years of the Best American Short Stories (BASS). I hope […]
Cliff Garstang is out with his annual Perpetual Folly Pushcart Prize rankings, which ranks literary journals according to how many Pushcarts or special mentions they've won in the past decade. As is wise with any of these lists, he offers the disclaimer: Rankings of literary magazines are of questionable value. Most such rankings are subjective. Others […]
Nothing says literary more than wearing a literature-inspired T-shirt, preferably under a beaten-up thrift-store blazer. And since I’ve been mulling over some purchases, I’ve made the rounds through the internet nooks and crannies and come up with some of my favorite literary T-shirts. Here they are. Library themed from Threadless: Edgar Allen Poe, Quote the […]
The Kenyon Review just revealed that Amazon's funding their short story competition: The Kenyon Review is one of a diverse range of not-for-profit author and publisher groups receiving support from Amazon.com for programs dedicated to developing new voices and new books, including the Council for Literary Magazines and Presses, Lambda Literary Foundation, Poets & Writers, One Story, Ledig […]
Remember Howard Junker’s faux retirement last year, before he pulled back at the last moment because they couldn’t find anyone to take his place? Well, they found someone. After his long tenure at Zyzzyva, Junker is finally handing the reins over to the current managing editor, Laura Cogan. An ad in Poets & Writers tipped me […]
